Reunion of Rivals
by DB2020
Summary: Sequel to Jail Cell Blues. Squall's already said goodbye to his lover, but what came after was even harder. Waiting for news of Seifer's death, he tries to keep a promise. Seifer/Squall, PWP


**_Disclaimer: _**I do not own Final Fantasy VIII. Having two copies of the game is as far as I come to owning anything. I do not profit financially from any of my fanfiction, though I think that'd be awesome.

**_Warning: _**This is basically a PWP. It's one big sexually graphic lemon between Seifer and Squall. If you are not into yaoi or if you're not old enough to be reading mature stories, then please turn back.

**SEQUEL TO _JAIL CELL BLUES_**

Reunion of Rivals

Squall stared off vacantly while the strong wind sent his hair every which way. Out on the balcony that looked clear down the gently sloping mountain base and into the sea, he pined for Seifer. Defeating Ultimecia, traveling through time, and basically accomplishing the impossible had left him with high hopes that everything would turn out for the best. He'd been undeniably excited when he'd woken up and found he'd returned to the orphanage. He'd looked at each familiar face with the hope of finding the blond knight.

It had been a month since then, and the death tolls were still coming in. He didn't know if Seifer was caught in time somewhere or rotting in the desert. Not knowing was the worst part. If he knew for certain that the man were dead, then he just had to wait a little longer to make sure Balamb Garden was stable enough to run without him.

Having been told to wait before taking any drastic measures, Squall continued to watch for news reporting the man's death. Amidst the chaotic aftermath of an unsettled world, there was no telling who might still be alive or not.

"Being commander has its pressures," Quistis called out from the balcony's entrance. Approaching the stoic young man, she gazed at his profile. He looked so lost and sad. Ever since the war had ended, what little progress their group had made in getting Squall to open up was gone. Worse than ever, the commander never ventured to speak unless absolutely necessary.

Slow to realize he wasn't alone, Squall cast a furtive look towards the head instructor. Making no move to greet her or even acknowledge her presence, he turned his eyes back out to sea.

"Even so," Quistis continued, assuming that the commander was at least listening, "the rest of us are here for you. You can rely on us and talk to us."

"…" Squall said nothing.

"Squall," the blonde woman pressed. Reaching out, she gently squeezed his shoulder. "We're all worried about you."

"I'm fine," Squall muttered, voice almost cracking after hours of silence.

"No, you're not," Quistis refuted. "Rinoa told me what happened last night. Why are you pushing her away?"

Scowling, Squall continued to stare off. Last night hadn't been his fault. He'd returned to his dorm to find the raven-haired sorceress sleeping in his bed. He'd promised never to let anyone else in his bed. He'd done nothing wrong by getting angry and telling her to leave.

"You give everyone the cold shoulder, then you yell at Rinoa for trying to help you," Quistis stated. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Squall muttered tersely.

"Please," Quistis begged.

Moving abruptly, Squall shirked the woman's hold off. "I'm not going to tell you twice," the he bit out, "Leave me be." Stalking away, he decided a scenic view wasn't necessary for thinking about Seifer.

--

Squall tossed about in his bed, sheets pooled about his curled form after hours of restlessness. It was four in the morning and he had yet to sleep a wink, which wouldn't have been so bad if it hadn't been one sleepless night among many.

There were brief moments where he'd nod off, but wake quickly after subconsciously trying to furl against a body that wasn't there. No matter how tired he was, how much his eyes watered with each yawn, he couldn't sleep under such circumstances.

Rinoa was sleeping on his couch, refusing to leave him alone. He half suspected that she still hoped he'd return her feelings of love, despite assurances that it was okay being nothing more than friends. His appreciation for what she'd done during the war did not exceed his annoyance with her continued presence in his private quarters. Nonetheless, he was powerless to kick her out without acting like a complete jerk.

Giving up on sleep, hating the fatigued feeling that made his body shiver with the need to curl up and rest, Squall sat up. Swallowing thickly, he took a deep breath and held back burning tears. It wasn't just his body that was exhausted.

Plagued each night with emptiness, the hollow feeling in his chest was pushing him closer to the breaking point. If he only knew that Seifer were dead, it wouldn't have been so bad.

Not knowing how much longer he was supposed to wait, he contemplated the evils of killing himself that very night. Quistis was perfectly capable of handling Balamb Garden and Cid Kramer was just waiting to be asked back. Surely he wasn't needed anymore.

Sighing, Squall rubbed his eyes in frustration. He couldn't do it, not yet. Seifer had asked him to wait until he knew for sure, so he'd just have to suck it up.

Falling back against his bed, he tried once more to fall asleep.

--

Irvine and Zell stood outside the infirmary pacing back and forth. With nervous knots in their stomachs, they waited for Dr. Kadowaki to finish treating the commander.

"Is he okay!?" Selphie cried out for all the milling cadets to hear. The petit woman sprinted around the wide bend of the fountain with the head instructor lagging behind.

"We don't know darlin'," Irvine informed with an unsettling edge of worry.

Selphie blanched, suddenly fearing the worst if the gunman was all worked up. There was only one thing that rattled Irvine's nerves, which was sharp shooting when it was down to the wire.

"What happened?" Quistis asked, glancing around to make certain that curious cadets weren't forming an eavesdropping crowd.

"We were in his office," Irvine explained, hands bending and folding the brim of his hat like it was a stress ball. "He just collapsed."

"Collapsed?" Quistis questioned horrified.

"I laughed," Zell interjected morosely, gazing at the older instructor with glossy baby blue eyes. "I thought he'd tripped, and you know how Squall never trips, so it was funny at first."

"It's okay," Quistis soothed, putting on a strong front of calm concern.

"No it's not!" Zell yelled. "He fell down and wouldn't wake up, and I stood there laughing."

"Zell," Irvine hissed, not wanting the whole of Garden to hear what had happened. "It's not like it's your fault. I thought he'd tripped too."

"Really?" Zell questioned, rubbing furiously at his eyes.

Nodding, the auburn haired gunman pat the blond boxer on the back in a consoling manner.

"He wouldn't wake up? Did he hit his head?" Selphie questioned, sidling close to the gunman and hugging his arm for comfort.

Shaking his head in memory, Irvine said, "It was damn lucky he didn't hit the desk. I though it was a head rush at first, the way he swayed after standing up, but then he just lost all rigidity and crumpled like a rag doll."

Hand to her mouth, Quistis was unappreciative of the cowboy's descriptions. "Hyne," she murmured, casting a worried gaze to the closed infirmary doors.

"He was out cold," Zell informed. "I carried him here," he added solemnly. "He's in worse shape than I thought." Staring at his gloved hands, he recalled the frighteningly light form he'd scooped up off the ground.

"Why is this happening?" Selphie asked the group, squeezing Irvine's arm tighter. "He seemed so happy after Rinoa brought him back. He smiled at the celebration ball and danced with me and Rinoa every time we asked him to."

They all knew something must have happened. Having been nearly normal, if only slightly less talkative and social than the average, Squall had regressed to a degree they'd never seen before. The commander was like a zombie, walking around without a flicker of emotion. Ghostly pale with bloodshot eyes and a waning physique that was too lean to be healthy, it wasn't just the man's mental state that concerned them. Being outside the infirmary wasn't necessarily an unexpected turn of events. If only they knew what was wrong.

"It's Seifer," Rinoa said quietly, joining the group and appearing far more collected than anyone else. At the rate Squall had been going, it had only been a matter of time before she was paged to come to the infirmary.

"Rin," Zell began uncertainly. "The doc won't let us in, but I'm sure he'll be fine."

"He doesn't sleep or eat," Rinoa replied. "I'm sure his body's just given out," her tone implied that it wasn't such a big deal, at least not life threatening. At the curious gaze from everyone, she explained, "I've been bunking on his couch. I guess I just don't know when to give up."

"That's not true," Quistis reassured. "If anyone can get through to him it's you."

"What do you mean that it's Seifer?" Irvine questioned.

Shrugging, the young sorceress explained, "I'm not sure, but whenever I mention Seifer, he listens. If I'm talking about anything else, he just tunes me out."

Thinking back, Quistis recalled all the trouble she'd had separating the two rivals. "You don't suppose he feels responsible for the war do you? Maybe he thinks he caused Seifer to turn," she theorized aloud. She herself felt rather guilty about not being more of a friend to the cocky blond, wondering if her friendship might have made him stay.

At that moment, further discussion was brought to an abrupt halt. The infirmary doors slid open with a hydraulic hiss and Dr. Kadowaki stood with an unreadable expression.

"He's conscious," the doctor announced. Frowning, the older woman cast a disapproving gaze over her shoulder. Stepping farther into the hall, she let the doors close behind her. "He says that he's sorry for the trouble," she said.

Confused, no one seemed to understand why Kadowaki was delivering the message when the commander was awake.

"Can we go in now?" Zell requested anxiously, ready to push past the older woman to get in there.

Shaking her head, Kadowaki explained, "He refuses to see anyone right now."

The sudden clatter heard from within the infirmary caused all heads to turn in surprise.

--

Cuffed and guarded, Seifer sat calmly in an armored van. En route to Balamb Garden, he could hardly contain his excitement. If it weren't for the snot nosed punks detailed to watch him, he'd have been grinning like a fool. As it was, his face was a hardened mask of superior indifference, which seemed to frighten the low leveled chumps seated across from him.

It had taken him a long time to figure a way out of Ultimecia's castle. The magic in the cross dimensional abode had been far beyond him and with the sorceress dead, there had been no manual to figure out how to return home. Oddly enough, it had been rather simple. Like pointing and shooting, he'd just begged to be taken to a time that his little lion was in and tried one of the portals surrounding the castle.

It was just his luck to wind up on the shores of Balamb while a small group of SeeD was passing by. Perhaps it _was_ lucky after all, since he was being taken exactly where he wanted to go. Easily capable of beating his captor's with both his arms tied behind his back, he didn't think it would help to clear his name if he did so.

"How close are we?" Seifer questioned demandingly.

Weapons at the ready, the two guards glanced at each other for an uncertain moment before one of them ventured to speak. "A long ways off, so you can keep sweating over what Commander Leonhart has in store for you."

Stunned for a moment as his mind flooded with tantalizingly lewd images, Seifer grinned broadly. While his expression was mistaken for arrogant bravery, he enjoyed the remainder of the ride envisioning his welcome.

--

Squall sat at his desk, having spent the past several hours pouring over countless reports and SeeD requests. The amount of paperwork involved with being commander made him look forward to the short breaks when he was visited and continually nagged by his friends.

As if on cue, a sharp series of knocks sounded outside his office door before Quistis and Rinoa filed in.

Happy for the excuse, Squall closed the report he'd been reviewing and set it aside. A week since winding up in the infirmary, he found the only remedy for being lonely was to keep as busy as possible. Staying active didn't help late at night when he had no choice but to lie still and think, but Kadowaki had resolved that for him with sleeping pills.

"You didn't eat," Quistis observed with disapproval, eyeing the untouched tray of food on the edge of the commander's desk.

"…" Squall eyed the head instructor with cool warning. He didn't need a babysitter and had already made himself clear about not wanting to be told when to eat. He wasn't hungry and hadn't been hungry since before the war.

Sighing, Quistis crossed the room and flopped down in a chair before the commander's desk. The stubborn boy was beyond recalcitrant in his ways and she couldn't help but feel like she was the authority he went against.

"Are you still joining us for dinner?" Rinoa asked, her tone almost pleading.

Nodding faintly, Squall confirmed his willingness to join the group for dinner. They had spent a fair amount of time badgering him into agreeing and he wasn't going to go back on his word.

Standing next to the chair Quistis was in, Rinoa wrung her hands as if put on the spot. "Can I ask you about Seifer?" she requested quietly, earning a reprimanding glare from the blonde instructor.

Though curious herself, Quistis was firmly set in not pressing the matter. She suspected Squall was guilty about the cocky cadet turning to Ultimecia for validation. Anything they had to say on the matter would probably have the opposite affect as intended.

"What about Seifer?" Squall returned, generally interest in any conversation that dealt with the knight, even if it only reminded him of what he no longer had.

"Well," Rinoa began uncertainly, not having expected to be given the go ahead. "Are you still mad at him?" she ventured. Mentally berating herself, she concluded that she could never be a reporter when she failed to ask the right questions.

Regarding the raven-haired sorceress thoughtfully, Squall replied, "I was never angry at him."

"Never?" Quistis remarked dubiously.

Frowning, Squall affirmed, "Never."

"Then what is it? Why do you open up every time Seifer is mentioned, but go a million miles away every other time?" Rinoa questioned urgently.

Gazing for a dejected moment at his desk, Squall didn't meet either woman's gaze when answering, "I have a lot on my mind."

"That doesn't explain anything," Rinoa declared.

"More than just being commander?" Quistis asked, wondering if she could fit a few questions in before Squall closed up again.

Sighing heavily, Squall pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yes," he mumbled.

"We can't help you if you don't tell us what's going on," Quistis said soothingly.

Rubbing his eyes in frustration, Squall lowered his hand slowly. Looking into crystal blue eyes, he informed, "You can't do anything for me." Only one person could possibly make things better. Estimates on how many lives had been lost because of Ultimecia's insanity did nothing. He needed lists of all the people who were killed in the war. Forming those lists was time consuming when it encompassed the entire world.

"I heard you met with Raijin and Fujin this morning," Quistis commented. "I guess this means you reject the offer to ban them from all Garden facilities."

"I rejected that offer when you first put it on the table," Squall bit out tersely. He was quite certain that no amount of explaining could possibly make anyone believe the true reason for Seifer's betrayal. Raijin and Fujin didn't even know, yet they'd shown a level of friendship that he'd always admire. It had been a relief for him to know Seifer hadn't been alone, and perhaps the only reason he hadn't decided to join Ultimecia as well.

"They were from our Garden," Quistis reminded. "How is Balamb going to look if we turn out criminals and let them wage war on the entire world without evening punishing them afterwards?"

"Quisty, let's not get into this right now," Rinoa pleaded.

Squall did not find the head instructor's point of view to be surprising. His first move when requesting search parties for Ultimecia's knight had been to mandate clemency and diplomatic immunity. Choosing not to misuse his authority as commander, he'd resorted to asking President Loire for assistance in the search. Currently, Estharian soldiers were the ones collecting names and turning over every rock for some sign that Seifer had been there.

"Squall!" the voice of Zell cried from outside the office door. "Hey man!"

Standing swiftly, Squall managed to round his desk before the door flew open and an urgently bouncing boxer rushed in. "What?" he asked, not knowing if he should be alarmed or agitated.

"Outside, they finally caught him!" the spiky haired boxer announced.

Grey-blue eyes narrowed dangerously. Suspicious already with the way Quistis kept pressing for punishment against every person who hadn't sided with them, he glanced back and met the woman's gaze.

"Almasy, man," Zell announced merrily. "They finally found the asshole. They've got him at the gates. After all this time trying to hide, he was just walking along the beach."

"I know how you feel, Squall," the instructor said reassuringly. "But, everyone's looking to us to do something."

Jaw clenching, Squall wasn't sure he could contain his emotions. He felt overwhelming trepidation, unable to be excited when it was too good to be true. He was also furious at what might have gone on behind his back. He wanted to sprint out of the room, but he needed to know more about what was going on. "What'd you do?" he questioned lowly.

Walking closer, Quistis tried to impress the importance of punishing the key figures at fault for the war. "I issued a warrant for Seifer's arrest. Even if his reputation outweighs his heart, he tried to destroy us all. We can't let that go unpunished."

"I can and I will," Squall hissed. "I'm pulling rank instructor Trepe."

"Squall!" Rinoa intoned in shock. The reluctant commander had never used his authority over any of them in such a way.

Shaking his head, choppy strands splaying about, Squall ground out, "Seifer Almasy is acquitted. I don't care if he has so much as a parking ticket, clear it up before I have to repeat myself."

Frozen in place by the commander's chilling glare, Quistis shrank under the disapproving gaze of steely blue eyes. When had she become Squall's enemy?

"Hey man," Zell began tentatively, "that's kind of harsh."

"Whatever," Squall muttered, stalking out of the office.

Unable to move quickly enough, the commander managed some semblance of composure and refrained from sprinting through the whole of Garden. It didn't matter though, since mulling cadets seemed drawn to him and where he was headed. With the way Zell had been shouting, there was little doubt that word was already spreading about the knight's capture.

Finding it hard believe that Seifer had been hiding or randomly walking along the shore's of Balamb beach, Squall was curious as to what had happened and where the knight had been.

Heart in his throat, Squall hopped over the checking gates. "Keep the cadets inside," he issued as order to the man inside the small booth who oversaw the influx and outflow of every single person. Lengthening his stride, he glanced around frantically as he crossed the stone paved courtyard. Spotting Irvine's hat, he broke into a jog.

There was an armored van parked just outside the tall iron gates and it belonged to Balamb Garden. Three SeeDs guarded various sides of the vehicle while Irvine stood nearby with Exeter at the ready.

"Squall wait!" Zell shouted. "You shouldn't be running man!" Discharged from the infirmary a week ago, the commander didn't look any better than when first admitted.

Not sparing a glance for the small group that was following him, Squall jogged closer. He was healthy enough to do whatever he pleased.

"Whoa there partner," Irvine called out, pointedly standing in the middle of the open gates to intercept the commander. "He's safe and sound, which is how we should keep him until the trial."

Squall slowed down, relieved by the gunman's words, but also annoyed that he was suddenly the last person to know. "I'm not going to beat him up," the brunet muttered.

"Riiight," Irvine drawled in disbelief. "You just wanna chat for a bit and catch up on old times."

"Careful, he'll pull rank," Quistis warned bitterly as she finally caught up.

The sound of the van's back door sliding open caught everyone's attention, but it was on the side Squall couldn't see. At the sight of Selphie's copper hair, the commander became more than a little agitated. "Was this a collective effort to arrest Seifer without my knowledge?" he bit out angrily.

"Naw man, I didn't know a thing," Zell stated.

"This was my doing," Quistis explained, owning up to what she believed had been the right thing to do.

As grey-blue eyes caught sight of golden blond hair, time seemed to stop. Squall no longer cared who had done what behind his back.

Seifer stood straight with an exaggerated groan of relief over finally correcting his posture. Muttering a complaint to the messenger girl, he stopped mid sentence when he turned around and spotted Squall over the hood of the van. Windowless and soundproof inside the cramped space of the van, he was caught off guard.

Everyone held their breath, suddenly terribly apprehensive about what happened next. The archrivals had spotted each other and the atmosphere was almost suffocating.

"Tilmitt," Seifer began slowly, "un-cuff me." The annoyingly happy young woman had excitedly crawled in next to him to keep him company, though he suspected it had been meant as some form of torture.

Face expressionless, Selphie seemed to remember herself and smiled. "Silly, now why would I do that?"

"Un-cuff him," Squall ordered, moving forward.

Blinking in confusion, Selphie was slow to comply, but did as she was told.

Irvine reached out and tried to block the commander's way. "Maybe you should leave your gunblade with me," the gunman suggested warily.

Frowning in disapproval, Squall hastily stripped his gunblade off and shoved it into the auburn haired man's hold. Stepping around Irvine, he finally had a clear path. Swallowing thickly, he tried to contain himself.

Seifer rushed around the van, much to the alarm of everyone else. He suddenly found himself the target of several guns. "Hey," he said, hands held up in a show of surrender.

"Stand down," Squall ordered. "You're dismissed," he stated to the three SeeDs by the van.

Grinning broadly, Seifer slowed his approach to relish the sight of Leonhart. "You look terrible," he commented. In truth, even if the brunet looked exhausted and almost gangly, he hadn't seen a more attractive sight since their last meeting on the Lunatic Pandora. He'd fought the boy for real then, afraid Adel would have actually killed his little lion if given a chance.

Stopping, Squall kept enough distance from the blond to ensure he didn't tackle the man for lack of better expression of what he felt inside. "Where were you?" he questioned, brows drawing together in anguish.

Jade-green eyes lost their gleam of excitement. "I couldn't figure a way out of that shitty castle," he replied. "I tried baby," he added, slipping into his personal form of addressing his lover regardless of the various ears listening.

"I waited," Squall said quietly, unable to explain how hard it had been to do so.

"And I managed to get back," Seifer said, grinning wryly.

At a breaking point, Squall laughed dryly, the action helping to diffuse the tears that threatened to fall. "You took too long," he accused hotly, hand rubbing his eyes in annoyance.

Seifer took several short steps closer. Towering over the pale commander, he found himself afraid to touch the boy. Fearing that it was a dream, he just knew the moment he tried to stroke soft hair or caress smooth skin that he'd wake up.

Unable to wait any longer, Squall surged forth and pressed against Seifer's chest. He grasped the man's shirt demandingly, knuckles white to ensure nothing could pull him away.

Stunned briefly, Seifer could only register the firm pressure of Leonhart's body. It was after relief washed over him that his desires stirred. Wrapping his arms around the smaller man, he squeezed the seemingly frail brunet as tightly as he dared.

Collectively, everyone's jaw hit the ground. Before anyone could think to say or do anything, something far stranger and disturbing happened.

"Never again," Seifer soothed, having forgotten how terribly lonely the brunet became without him. It had been easy for Squall to talk about suicide because for all the boy's resilience, being left alone was worse than death after such traumatizing instances of abandonment as a child.

Squall raised his head from the crook of the knight's neck. Staring longingly into jade-green eyes, he didn't need to prompt the blond to give him what he wanted. Needy and fierce, Seifer kissed him hard.

Lips meshing in perfect rhythm, agonizing moments apart were soothed as they comforted each other how they knew best.

Arms rising to twine around the older boy's neck, Squall relented to an insistent tongue. Quickly consumed, he simply moaned when the blond groped his ass. When it became apparent that Seifer was trying to hitch him up, he let the man do so and wrapped his legs around the other's waist.

Seifer groaned at the action, suddenly overwhelmed by how fucking good it felt. He'd never gone so long without sex before. Stumbling forward, he pressed the brunet against the side of the van. "You have no idea how much I want you right now," he said huskily, not giving the commander time to reply before filling that sweet mouth with his tongue.

Selphie made her way towards Irvine. Walking backwards, she made certain not to take her eyes off the spectacle presented to them all. "Are you taking notes Irvy?" she questioned, nudging the gunman in the arm.

In awe of such a sublime occurrence, Irvine jolted in surprised. Glancing down at his little lady, he quickly looked back towards the commander and the enemy knight. "Notes?" he mumbled. "Yeah, sure," he answered, not really hearing the question.

Quistis managed to tear her attention away and glance at the raven-haired sorceress expectantly.

Shaking her head, Rinoa defended, "Don't look at me. I thought he was guilty, not lovesick."

"Lovesick," Zell said in complaint. "What in Hyne's name is going on?" First the commander had been totally depressed and gotten sick because of it, then his childhood tormentor turned evil knight had been captured, then his depressed and sick commander had started making out with his childhood tormentor. "My head hurts," the blond muttered. Crouching down and hanging his head in his hands, he tried to process it all.

Tongue stroking against Seifer's, Squall didn't register anything except the man he'd been yearning for every night. The hollowness was gone, filled with a simmering ach to have Seifer bed him.

"Not here," Seifer spoke brokenly, attempting to speak clearly while plundering his partner's mouth at the same time.

"What?" Squall returned, urging the knight to press against him harder with his legs locked around the man's waist.

"Fucking Hyne," Seifer muttered, forgetting why he'd spoken in the first place. He pushed firmly enough to lean the brunet back against the van safely. With one hand still kneading the commander's ass, he fisted lengthy strands of hair and jerked Leonhart's head back. Open to invasion, he teasingly trailed his tongue along a pout bottom lip before slipping in for a better taste.

At the sound of voices from behind, Seifer remembered why he'd spoken before, but he was reluctant to do anything about it.

"Why?" Squall said in one worded complaint when the blond broke away. Usually, he was the one that called for a break from the open mouthed exchanges, unable to receive all of Seifer's passion in a single go. Feet planted on the ground, every fiber of his being protested the discontinuance of kissing the handsome blond.

"We have an audience," Seifer reminded, unwilling to show anyone else how sexy Squall became when hot and bothered. It was easy enough to keep the brunet to himself when everyone believed the boy to be a cold and frigid prince. If rumor spread that his little lion was a sexy minx who loved to be fucked hard, he'd go insane from paranoia.

Cheeks heating to a thoroughly mortified scarlet red, Squall couldn't look anyone in the eyes. Taking cover, he pressed close to the knight's broad chest and hid his face from view. "I couldn't help it," he mumbled in self-loathing. He couldn't believe he'd lost control like that. He hadn't considered the threat of exposure involved with meeting Seifer in front of a crowd.

Laughing, Seifer stroked silky chestnut hair. "You're too cute right now," he stated.

Clearing her throat Quistis opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. What was she supposed to say? What was she supposed to think?

Hand covering her face, Rinoa was quite embarrassed herself. Clearing her throat, she tried to be as good-natured about it as possible. "I'm guessing this is why neither of you tried to make it past first base with me." Honestly, she was both relieved and hurt. Squall was a very attractive young man and someone she'd grown to care about. However, the commander's tightlipped tendencies were nerve grating and she'd been beginning to have self-confidence issues since the night he'd kicked her out of his bed. She'd practically been begging to console him with her body and he hadn't even noticed.

"Squally," Selphie spoke up, "why didn't you ever tell us?"

Biting the bullet, Squall straightened up and detached himself from the blond knight. Wanting to give a decent excuse, he also didn't feel like it was necessary. At length, he realized Selphie wasn't asking him to excuse his relationship with Seifer, but rather why he hadn't opened up and mentioned it. "It's private," he offered evenly.

Frowning, Seifer pulled the brunet close. Arm around narrow shoulders, he gave a lingering kiss to soft hair before elaborating. "What he means is that we were both cadets living in the same dormitory wing. To openly say we were screwing each other every night was asking for trouble."

"H-how long?" Quistis managed to ask, voice cracking a bit in her shock.

Grinning proudly, Seifer declared, "Our four year anniversary was last week."

If everyone had been shocked at the sight of the commander making out with the knight, the revelation that it was a serious and long lasting relationship threw them all for another loop. Everyone's eyes widened, even Zell who'd finally looked up even though his head still hurt.

Fidgeting a bit, uncomfortable with everyone watching, Squall tried to think straight and figure out what to do next.

"This is a serious conflict of interest," Quistis pointed out, not quite ready to consider the bigger picture.

Chuckling, Irvine took his hat off and ran a hand through loose strands of long hair. "And here I thought things were getting boring," he drawled, an amused gleam in his violet-blue eyes.

"Quistis," Squall said, hesitating to collect enough words for an entire sentence. "The real conflict of interest was when Seifer became a knight so that Ultimecia wouldn't take me."

Groaning, Zell whined, "Stop making it worse."

"What's the matter chicky, can't take that I'm not such a bad guy after all?" Seifer jibed.

Humming a note of contentment, Seifer staggered back and dragged his little lion with him. Holding the brunet close, he made a show of snuggling the younger man. "How fast can we get to your room?" he questioned, loud enough for the group to hear. Though it had been a mutual decision to hide their relationship, there was little point in hiding when they were no longer cadets breaking a very serious rule.

Hand on the older boy's chest as if to ward him off, Squall didn't push away half as hard as he should have been. Who was he to care about what his friends thought when was exactly where he wanted to be. Glancing back to the van, he blushed when briefly considering the vehicle to be the closest place he and Seifer could use. Tearing his gaze away, he stared at the ground and muttered, "My dorm room."

Chuckling darkly, Seifer dipped his head low to whisper, "I saw that look."

"…" Squall didn't reply.

Hissing warm air into the brunet's ear, Seifer added proudly, "I'll make you develop that kinky side yet."

Frowning, Squall muttered, "Whatever."

"Baby, we're done with cell floors. We need a bed, a big king size bed that won't break easy," Seifer murmured. "And we're done sneaking into each other's rooms, _Commander_."

Shivering, Squall tried to hide his excitement. "You were gone too long," he said quietly, for the knight's ears only.

Hand cupping the boy's pale face, Seifer let his thumb stroke a soft cheek. "You look tired."

"I am," Squall admitted, eyes closing as he leaned into the caressing touch.

Kissing the boy's forehead, lips brushing lower to trail over a faintly pink scar, Seifer soothed, "I made it back."

"They're kind of cute together," Selphie whispered to Irvine. "In a made for each other sort of way."

Shrugging, Irvine spoke up, "Listen, we're all pretty blown away by this right now, and I know I'm feeling a little hurt that you never mentioned anything. But I suggest you two find a room and get it out of your systems before dinner."

"That's right," Selphie cheered happily. "This'll be the most awesome dinner ever! You two can tell us everything." It seemed like she and Irvy might finally have some competition for the hottest couple in Garden.

"Unless this dinner of yours is tomorrow night, we won't be making it," Seifer assured, intimately fondling the man in his hold.

"I'm outta here man," Zell muttered, turning and jogging away. He couldn't take it anymore. He'd ask Quistis to explain it in understandable terms without the distracting visual of Squall making out with Seifer.

"We've got a lot to discuss," Rinoa stated awkwardly, grabbing Quistis' arm and tugging. "Perhaps we should all go back and rethink a few matters," she suggested, pointedly staring at the head instructor. Conflict of interest or not, Squall's decision to let Seifer off the hook was fair if Seifer had really become a knight to save the commander.

In general, no one knew what to feel or think. Dispersing to deal with it in their own way, Seifer and Squall were left to vent bottled feelings on each other.

--

Behind closed doors, Seifer took a few moments to collect himself. Glad he hadn't gotten carried away earlier, he'd cleared his head and decided to take the remainder of the day very slowly.

"We've got all the time we need baby," Seifer whispered, gently stroking the brunet's hair while the boy clung to him for dear life.

Not having spoken a word since the embarrassing display he'd made in front of everyone, Squall consoled himself with the blond knight's body. Ear to the man's chest, he listened to the steady heartbeat like it was an addicting drug he'd been without for the past month.

"I'm going to grab a shower first," the blond announced.

"I'll join you," Squall said, not ready to leave the man's side yet, even for the briefest of moments.

--

"So Seifer is like not an evil bastard that tortures innocent people because he's sick?" Zell questioned dejectedly.

"No Zell, I'm afraid not," Rinoa answered. "He's a bully, but just your garden variety bully that winds up being a good guy at heart."

"I don't know what to think," Quistis muttered to herself. She'd spent the better part of her time at Garden watching over the two rivals and hadn't once thought there was anything more to them than clashing personalities. In her wildest dreams, she'd hoped they'd one day be friends. The knowledge that they were far more than friends was mind blowing and illogical.

"Well, at least we don't have to guess whether they're more than friends," Selphie offered. "I mean, if Squall had just shaken hands and said Seifer was pardoned, it would be suspicious but we could only suspect that something was there. Now we know for sure what was wrong before and stuff."

"It makes no sense," Irvine drawled in mild irritation. "I've tried bringing out the sex mongrel in Squall, but figured he was the one exception to the brotherhood of sex driven men. Seeing him go all manic mode and make out with Seifer is a little insulting."

--

Groaning, Seifer clawed the moist tile of the shower wall. Eyes closing, he let his forehead thump against the back of his hand. Warm water sprayed against his back while a crouching commander played with him mercilessly. Leonhart had a real vicious way of toying with him sometimes, but he reputedly loved it.

Squall hummed a note of contentment as he bobbed along the blond's stiff manhood. Pulling off with a small pop, he watched the length strain upwards, begging for attention and something to thrust into. Circling the mushroomed head with his tongue, he stabbed the slit until a weak kneed knight fisted his hair harshly.

Seifer couldn't take it any longer. He needed to have his length buried inside Leonhart's mouth or ass. Preferring to enter the boy from behind, he had no qualms about taking the nearest and devilishly trained entrance.

"Not yet," Squall muttered, pulling away from the demanding hold. Running his tongue along the underside, he traced a bulging vein in the angry red cock until he met dangling balls that he couldn't leave neglected.

Shuddering, Seifer stifled his sound of pleasure in the crook of his arm. "Hyne," he groaned as the brunet sucked on his balls. He couldn't recall a time when the boy had been so eager to suck him off.

Squall could tell the blond wasn't in the best state for prolonged torture. Compassionately, he returned his attention to the sensitive head, teeth gently raking over the foreskin before he swallowed as much of the shaft as he could. Bringing his hands in to help, he cupped heavy balls and gently nudged a finger against the man's puckered entrance.

Tensing at the sudden intrusion, Seifer had no time to question when a wriggling finger abruptly raked against what he knew to be his prostate gland. He came, shooting his release into Leonhart's mouth as the boy sucked it all out of him.

--

"So, what do you think they're doing right now?" Selphie questioned, eyeing the open spaces the group had left in case the commander and guest arrived late.

"Darlin', that's something none of us wanna discuss right now," Irvine drawled knowingly.

Shivering, Zell intoned, "Yuck."

"I don't think it's disgusting," Selphie said.

"Nor do I," Rinoa declared, earning a bright smile from the copper haired woman. "It does suck that they're both gay though," she added.

"We still have a big problem with Seifer being here," Quistis reminded. "No one is going to believe he became a knight to save Squall."

Quirking a finely sculpted brow, Rinoa questioned, "Is that because you don't believe it?"

"I never said that," the blonde instructor defended. "I might think it's awfully convenient given the timing we found this all out."

"Timing?" Rinoa questioned. "Quisty, the timing went hand in hand with Seifer's return for a reason."

"Squall's in love," Selphie announced in singsong voice.

Everyone seemed to wince at the overly sweet sentiment.

"Irvy, they've got four years on us. We have to beat them," Selphie said, fire in her eyes.

Thinking he could spin the situation to his advantage, Irvine leaned close and whispered, "They're taking the lead right now darlin'. Do you feel like leaving and evening the score?"

--

"Baby, you're like a fucking virgin," Seifer said, fingers being gripped so tightly that he was unsure whether the tip of his manhood would even fit. "You haven't been playing with yourself at all."

"I don't masturbate," Squall answered coolly, arching back as another finger was added to stretch him.

"Sweet Hyne," Seifer intoned in disbelief. "And here I thought I'd broken you in."

"It doesn't matter," Squall ground out, not exactly in a position to idle. "Hurry and put it in."

"You're the boss, oh unromantic one," the arrogant knight returned, hardly about to refuse. Seifer positioned himself behind his partner, but quickly realized the flaw in his hasty scheme for physical gratification. "Damn," he cursed, biting his lip as he forced the mushroom head of his manhood past the tiny puckered ring. "Baby, this isn't going to happen unless I prepare you more."

Gasping, Squall tried to breath and relax as much as possible. "Force it," he replied in impatience.

Pulling out, Seifer shifted forward and slid along the naked brunet's body. "Hey," he spoke huskily, a gruff note of disapproval. "Look at me," he ordered, moving to lie beside the commander instead of on top of.

"…" Turning his head slowly, Squall met striking green eyes.

"What's the rush?" Seifer questioned. Aside from the fact that his penis was a hard rod in need of attention, he was in no mood for any activity that was singularly about sex. Running a hand through damp and disheveled chestnut locks, he tried to sooth away the subtle hints of frightened urgency he detected in stormy blue eyes. Fingertips trailing along a pale cheek, he continued to touch the younger man gently.

Squall didn't venture to speak, which wasn't necessarily uncommon, except he had a million things he wanted to say. There was no real rush, but he could not easily forget what it had been like to sleep alone at night. He feared that if he'd waited any longer, he'd have forgotten the blond's face just like his body had apparently forgotten the man's touch.

"I'm right here," Seifer reassured, nudging a delicate chin and turning the boy's face up to meet his lips.

Accepting the action, Squall gave a soft sight of contentment as his tongue flicked out to meet Seifer's. When had he fallen so hopelessly in love? It certainly hadn't been since their first night sleeping together or their first kiss. He'd ignored the bond for a week after they'd had sex for the first time, which remained one of the worst and most painful experiences of his life. For how good things had become between them, he'd go through a thousand nights of being a virgin sacrifice for a hormonal blond teen that didn't understand the meaning of lubricant or preparation.

Slowly and steadily, the kiss grew. Shifting to lay on his back, Squall wrapped his arms around the knight who slid into place on top of him. Groping a broad, muscular back, he worked his tongue against Seifer's while his body flared with raw need.

The passion and desire were all familiar to Squall. His body did remember, as it responded without consulting his brain. His leg curled to hook around one of the blond's, a purchasing hold that allowed him to undulate against the form between his legs and successfully rub his length with more friction than a bed sheet gave.

Seifer gave off a low toned groan when Leonhart rubbed against him, brushing his straining manhood in a dangerously pleasurable way. Pulling away from plush lips and a sinfully skillful tongue, he gazed down at his little lion. With a rivalry that fueled the flames, their want for each other never died down or cooled off long enough to give a moments peace.

"What?" Squall questioned, squirming beneath the knight's gaze. Though he usually didn't mind being watched by such penetrating eyes, he didn't want the man to see what was beneath the surface. He was pathetically dependent on Seifer, a weakness that was embarrassing.

"I love this part of you," Seifer said quietly. Leaning down, he kissed pout lips again. Pulling back abruptly, he resumed his study of grey-blue eyes. "You need me," he affirmed, not stating it as an observation, but demanding that it be true. "I'd go insane if I didn't think you needed me."

"I need you," Squall assured, hands sliding along a bare back and moving to touch golden blond hair. "I need you more than anything else." So much for trying to hide his dependence.

"You'll never leave me," Seifer murmured, brushing his lips against his rival's.

Tipping his head back slightly, Squall pressed his lips more firmly against the older boy's. "I wouldn't know how," he muttered, shivering as a tongue snaked into his mouth to silence further speaking. The slick appendage delved deeply in sudden fierceness, causing his eyes to flutter shut.

Overwrought with his emotions and desires, Seifer sought to alleviate what he could by pouring it into Leonhart. Grinding his hips, he rubbed his erecting against the pretty boy. Reaching a hand down, he slipped his fingers back inside the brunet and toyed with the tight entrance to make it stretch.

Spreading his legs farther apart, Squall didn't try to cover up how much he wanted Seifer inside him. Mewling, a sound greedily swallowed by the knight, he bucked against thrusting fingers.

Humming a note of encouragement, Seifer found his partner was much more relaxed and looser than before. Sometimes it was more mental than physical, and Leonhart's body had a difficult time opening up to him when that perpetually thinking mind wouldn't stop trying to keep things inside.

"Ready?" Seifer asked, leaning back and shivering at the sight his aroused lion made. Cheeks flushed and kiss bruised lips parted to take in heated breaths, the brunet was displayed beautifully with enthralling eroticism. Posed with spread legs and eyes that were begging him to have his way with the delicious body, he could not contain himself.

Nodding subtly, Squall ran his hands along the soft quilt beneath. Bunching the material, he gripped it with the foreknowledge that it had been a while since he'd last had sex and the knight's thick cock would feel more painful going in than usual.

Snatching a previously discarded bottle of lube, Seifer drizzled the clear liquid over his straining erection. Smearing it, he gave himself a firm stroke.

Licking his lips, Squall let out an audible breath as his legs were hitched over broad shoulders. He stiffened briefly as the tip of the blond's cock breached his entrance. Relaxing once more, he tightened his hold on the bedding when the man gave a warning squeeze to his hips.

"Just a few good ones baby," Seifer soothed. "Think you can handle it?"

Squall gave the man a halfhearted glare in response. Of course he could handle it. "Can you?" he returned with a challenging quirk of his eyebrows. On more than one occasion, the fun had ended with the few good ones Seifer spoke of. Coming prematurely was hardly a crime, but neither of them enjoyed losing control like that.

Chuckling darkly, Seifer accepted the challenge. With a final squeeze to slim hips, he thrust forward. Forcing his cock a few inches deeper, he pulled out and quickly repeated. Regardless of the stifled cry of pain that tortured him to hear for any reason, he continued until he was able to bury himself completely.

Eyes scrunched shut, Squall took measured breaths to bear with the splitting pain. He did feel like a virgin again.

Gritting his teeth, Seifer fought the strong urge to simply continue fucking the tolerant commander. He could remember the shameful times when his lust had been greater than his love, back when he'd first snuck into Leonhart's bed and had experimented with the boy.

Waiting was the true test of endurance for Squall. After several painstaking minutes, a time filled by the blond's tongue in his mouth, it was time for Seifer to fuck him until he forgot his own name. "Please move," he requested, greedily hugging the knight himself and demanding the man impale him without leaving his embrace.

Seifer's heart skipped a beat, though it was hard to tell with the rapid pace it was going. The way Leonhart clung to him was so desperate, his sadistic desire to subjugate and tether the boy swelled tenfold. His need to be needed and maddening possessiveness would surely grow to an unbearable degree, at which time he'd be unable to let Squall out of arms reach.

"Hyne I love you," Seifer growled out, attacking soft lips as he rocked in and out of the boy. Breaking the exchange, he rested his forehead against the bed while his hips thrust to drive his length in deeply.

"Ahh," Squall moaned too loud for his pride to take. Biting the knight's shoulder, he stifled the embarrassing sounds that he couldn't help making. It had been so very long since he'd last experienced the blissful union. Having Seifer inside of him felt so good. The pleasure that spiked through him as he was stimulated from within was incomparable.

Rolling his hips, Seifer picked up the pace ad began thrusting harder. Drawing out a little more, he pushed back in with a well lubricated squelch. "Turn over baby," he directed, extracting himself from clinging arms with a secretive smirk at the reluctance he detected.

Turning over, Squall frowned at the feeling of unsatisfied emptiness that came when the knight pulled out without either of them having climaxed yet. Prostrating himself in the hopes that Seifer would let loose and do him hard, he pressed his chest flat to the bed and raised his lower half on bent knees. Knowing the blond was watching, he inched his legs apart and reached back to spread himself, displaying exactly where he wanted attention the most.

"Fuck," Seifer cursed, nearly forgetting how to breathe. In one fell thrust, he plunged back into gripping heat. The new positioning he had on Leonhart was far more suited for deep penetration. With his length buried, the entire shaft swallowed by his rival's rosy little anus, he drew out and slammed back in again.

Crying out in ecstasy, Squall dropped his arms to the bed and clawed at the blanket to keep steady. Arching wildly, he turned his head to the side and gasped in uneven breaths. "So good," he panted with an exulting moan to follow.

Over and over, Squall was thrust into, fucked hard and deep. Pain was no longer a factor when that bundle of nerves inside was mercilessly rubbed by Seifer's swollen manhood. He couldn't take any more when a calloused hand fisted his arousal. He came, shooting his release into the knight's pumping hand.

Seifer groaned and began thrusting more shallowly at a quickened pace. Building up to that pivotal point, he was soon ejaculating in orgasmic abandon. Filling his lion up, he milked every drop of sticky essence he could, knowing it would be left behind when he withdrew. Convulsing in violent shudders of pleasure, he gave a final few thrusts before collapsing gracelessly atop the smaller man.

Eyes shut, Squall shivered and wallowed in the feel of hot release filling him. Earlier in the shower, he'd tasted the bitter fluid straight from its source, which was the only way he liked it. Similarly, he took great pleasure in being filled with the blond's essence, but afterwards, he quite disliked the feel of cooled semen leaking from his entrance and drying in a sticky mess all over his thighs.

There was no discussion necessary to figure out what came next. Lethargically, the sated pair shifted about until they were comfortable against each other and with the sheets half draped over their forms.

Intoning his contentment with a deep hum, Seifer spooned against the commander's back and trailed his lips across a pale shoulder in soft kisses. Rocking gently, he rubbed his groin against the boy's lower back with the mischievous intent of slowly rutting until he either came again or fell asleep. Regardless of which happened first, he'd be screwing the brunet all over again when they woke up.

Knowing what the older boy was up to, Squall reached back and grasped the knight's semi hard penis. Guiding the organ blindly, he directed it back inside himself. He was tired and likely to fall asleep before Seifer made him come again, but he would be assured that if he went to sleep with the man's cock in place, that he'd wake up with the man fucking him. There was little else he wanted in a wake up call.

"I love you," Seifer whispered, nibbling on the brunet's ear as he moved in and out shallowly.

"I love you too," Squall returned in unprompted reply, which was rare for him. He didn't care who heard it or how many times he said it. He loved Seifer and didn't see how he'd lasted more than a month without the arrogant man. He felt so incomplete and hollow without his childhood rival.

Quietly, Seifer and Squall drifted off while their touch hungry bodies played with each other. The next day promised isolated seclusion that would include activities in the shower and bedroom, and when their stomachs mandated it, on the kitchen counter.

Beyond being together, there was nothing else that mattered in a world that was safe again.

THE END

Author's Note: So sappy, but I couldn't help myself… it's the holidays. Anyway, sorry for the delay, my family demanded I not be antisocial and I can't write two sentences when I have people walking around me, so I wasn't able to write very much. I did build a gingerbread house though. Who knew they took so long to build? I wasted an entire day on that damn house, but it did turn out awesome. Well, before I ramble too much, this is the sequel and a bit crammed, but full of Seifer/Squall lovin'.

For anyone waiting on an update for Defining Love, I'm almost finished with the next chapter. I wanted to update with that first, but this ended up being finished first.


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